Pad for soccer sock

ABSTRACT

A soccer sock woven from Lycra/Spandex has a protective pad sewn to the upper metatarsal prominence area of the sock, to provide protection for the wearer&#39;s foot. A tongue portion protects the metatarsal area, and wing portions protect his/her ankle joint. The pad is of layered construction, an inner layer being of closed cell polyurethane foam, and an outer layer being of molded elastomeric material more rigid than the readily compressible inner layer. The laminated pad layers are held in place by an outer fabric skin adhered to the molded elastomeric material and sewn to the sock fabric with parallel peripherally extending stitching. The pad is 3 to 6 millimeters in thickness, each layer being of different density and compressibility to accommodate the forces reacted from blows to the pad during use, and the holding forces required to secure the pad to the sock itself.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of my prior application Ser. No.: 11/712,688 filed Mar. 1, 2007 and having the same title—PAD FOR SOCCER SOCK—, said prior application being incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to protective gear for soccer players, and deals more particularly with a soccer sock designed to absorb impact forces suffered by the upper metatarsal prominence of the foot, which is susceptible to injury among soccer players. More particularly, the present invention relates to a sock, woven from a synthetic textile material at least in part, and worn with a soccer shoe of conventional configuration.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The sock has a portion that overlies the upper metatarsal prominence of the wearer's foot, and a protective pad, preferably of laminated layers of closed cell polyurethane foam, is stitched onto the sock to locate the pad in particular relationship to the foot instep and the ankle, to protect the foot arch from injuries due to impact forces in the upper metatarsal prominence area of the foot, whether caused by kicking of the soccer ball, or whether caused by impact with other players, particularly from the studs or cleats of a soccer shoe worn by another soccer player.

While the entire sock may be woven from synthetic textile material, such as a polymeric yarn for example, this invention can be practiced in a sock woven at least partially of Lycra (a Dupont trademark for Spandex), preferably woven from a material of this type, in combination with a polymeric such as Nylon (90%), and Lycra (10%).

The pad is preferably three (3) to six (6) millimeters in thickness, and is so shaped that a lower edge thereof is spaced above the wearer's toes. The opposite, or upper edge of the polyurethane closed cell foam pad, extends up to at least the ankle joint of the foot, so that projecting wing portions of the pad wrap around or just under the ankle bone, to protect the ankle joint.

As mentioned above the pad includes laminated inner and outer layers, the inner layer adjacent the outside of the woven sock material being softer than the outer layer which is of a moldable elastomeric material. The inner layer is of slow rebound microcellular foam, preferably polyurethane closed cell PORON made by Rogers Corporation of Rogers, Conn. An outermost skin of synthetic fabric overlies these layers and is adhered to the outer layer to secure the pad to the underlying sock material by stitching with a polymeric thread.

The inner layer of the foam pad is of closed cell polyurethane and is of a slow rebounding type, which is quite flexible and compressible. The outer layer is stiffer and molded to the shape of the foot.

As a result of this construction, the area of the foot which will be protected by the pad is the upper metatarsal prominence or instep of the wearer's foot, and the ankle joint.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pad suitable for use in a sock of the type and material commonly used by soccer players.

FIG. 2 shows a foot having the pad of FIG. 1 sewn into a pocket defined for this purpose in the sock. A soccer shoe is illustrated in broken lines, and the location for the laces as provided in a typical soccer shoe is also illustrated in broken or phantom lines in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view through the pad and sock of FIG. 2, taken generally on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Turning now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 2 shows a soccer player's foot, with the outline of a soccer shoe 20 indicated in phantom lines. In accordance with the present invention, the soccer player is wearing a sock 16, the sock being fitted with a protective pad 10. The pad is so located as to protect the upper metatarsal prominence of the wearer's foot and is located immediately behind the laced area 18 of the shoe 20. These portions of the soccer shoe are shown for background only, and in broken or phantom lines in FIG. 2.

It is important to note that the pad 10 has wing portions such as indicated at 10 a and at 10 b, that generally cover or lay adjacent to the area indicated at 22, namely the ankle joint of the foot. Still with reference to FIG. 2, the pad 10 has a lower portion or edge 10 c that is provided immediately above the toes of the wearer's foot.

FIG. 1 shows the geometry of the pad in somewhat greater detail, and from FIG. 1 it will be seen that the wing portions 10 a and 10 b are not symmetrical with respect to a center line C/L in FIG. 1. These wing portions project beyond the width Wt of a tongue portion 10 c of the pad. The tongue portion being designed to reside behind the laces of the soccer shoe itself.

Still with reference to FIG. 2, but shown in greater detail in FIG. 3 is the cross-section of the pad 10. As seen in FIG. 3 the pad comprises inner and outer layers 10 d and 10 e. The outer layer 10 e is of elastomeric material which is molded to the shape of the upper metatarsal prominence of the foot.

The pad 10 also includes the inner layer 10 d, fabricated from a synthetic foam material, such as PORON, a polyurethane foam which provides a slow rebound protective layer for the wearer's foot. The pad 10 also has an outer skin 10 f which is adhered to the elastomeric layer 10 e, and overlies the edge of the inner and outer layers 10 d and 10 e respectively. This outer skin is stitched 24 a to the sock material 16, and a secondary stitching line 24 b is optionally provided to secure the laminated pad in place.

The wing span Wa of the pad wing portions, 10 a and 10 b, is preferably somewhat less than the total height h of the pad. The pad is preferably about twice as high as that of the width Wt of the tongue portion. The total height dimension h is at least equal to Wa, and preferably h is 50% greater than Wa.

In it's preferred form the sock is woven from synthetic textile yarn, preferably a combination of Nylon and Spandex in the proportions of 90% Nylon and 10% Spandex. The stitching 24 is preferably synthetic thread, such as nylon or the equivalent.

The pad material is such that washing of the sock can be carried out with the pad sewn in place. The pad inner layers is preferably PORON, a closed cell polyurethane foam available from Rogers Corporation of Rogers, Conn. and the outer layer is a molded rubber-like elastomeric material formed to the shape of the human foot. Both materials have very minimal water absorbency. The inner material has been found to have a moisture absorbency of less than 10%, and can be engineered to exhibit predetermined densities and compressibility. The outer skin may be woven synthetic fabric adhesively applied to the elastomeric layer of molded shape.

In conclusion, this unique pad 10 is well suited to stitching directly to the outer surface of the sock 16. FIG. 3 shows both inner and outer layers, 10 d and 10 e respectively, of the same shape and size, only the outermost skin 10 f being somewhat larger to allow stitching it to the sock 16, as shown at 24 a. However, these inner and outer layers may be skived to provide a peripheral pad edge of beveled contour rather than being squared off as shown in FIG. 3. 

1. A soccer sock for protecting the upper metatarsal prominence of the wearer's foot, said sock comprising an ankle height sock of textile material suitable for use with a soccer shoe, and a protective pad, said pad having a central portion for protecting the metatarsal prominence and having projecting wing portions for protecting the ankle joint, said pad formed by laminated inner and outer layers, said inner layer being of synthetic microcellular foam of ready compressibility, said outer layer being of molded elastomeric material, said inner layer being readily compressed and said outer layer having a more rigid structure, and a fabric outer skin, said outer skin being stitched to said sock and overlying said inner and outer layers, thereby affording improved holding action for said stitching.
 2. The sock of claim 1, wherein said protective synthetic foam pad has a thickness in the range of 3-6 millimeters, said pad having a tongue portion with a lower edge provided above the wearer's toes and an upper portion defining said wing portions.
 3. The sock of claim 1, wherein said outer skin is of woven fabric material similar to that of said sock, and said outer skin adhesively secured to said molded elastomeric layer.
 4. The sock of claim 3, wherein said outer layer is formed by a molding process to fit the metatarsal prominence of the human foot.
 5. The sock of claim 4, wherein said stitching comprises at least two continuously stitched generally parallel rows extending peripherally around said laminated pad, one row provided outside the pad periphery through only the fabric outer skin, the second of said parallel stitching rows provided inside said one row and extending through said inner and outer pad layers. 